Saudi Comedian Amy Roko

What drives a modern Muslim Woman to succeed in modern society? In this issue of Destination, we’ve gathered a handful of incredible ladies who show us that being extraordinary is a matter of deciding to go the extra mile: Extra Grit, Extra Passion, and Extra Hard Work. Arab women are pushing boundaries, and as a whole, can get us across the finish line of progress.

Photo By Abdullah Almosharaf

This Ramadan and all year long, we ask all of you to BE EXTRA kind, compassionate, and willing to lean on each other.

Saudi comedian Amy Roko encourages her followers to strive for what they want and go for it. She has always been a shy and timid kid and one day decided to reflect and ask herself why. She would see the women who fully embraced themselves, who walked in confidence and she strived to achieve that, “everyone is out here looking super confident just doing what they want and doing what they like.” This inspired her to break out of her shell and just be whoever she wanted to be. The shift from being a shy girl who never expressed herself to now being one of Saudi’s most recognized household names did not happen overnight for Amy, “It took a while for me to get here actually, it took work. I had to work on myself and expose myself to really awkward situations and blurt out embarrassing things. But hey! Here we are!”

Amy Roko stresses the importance of not allowing the voices of others affect who she is, “it can stop you from reaching to where you want to go. Growing up I felt insecure, but I stopped it there. At some point I thought, when am I going to move on to be this strong independent woman.” Her hijab has helped her express herself throughout the years, “without my hijab I feel kind of exposed. It’s like a warrior walking without his shield”.

Her confidence and big personality has reached many throughout the Kingdom. She hopes to keep creating content and inspiring people to be a little more Extra Daring.